Mainstream Weekly

Most recent articles

• Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005—An Appraisal

  6 March 2010, by Rachana Kaushal

  This research paper critically evaluates the PWDVA 2005. Violence against women has been acknowledged both nationally as well as internationally as a violation of human rights of women, something that impairs the overall development of women. This paper is divided into three parts. The first part of the paper gives a brief history of various IPC (Indian Penal Code), CrPC (Criminal Procedure Code) and Civil Law protections available to women against violence in India. The second part deals (…)

• Regional Parties in the Federal Union

  6 March 2010, by Amna Mirza

  BOOK REVIEW
  Emergence of Regional Parties in India—Implications for National Parties, Policies and the Democratic System by Ajay K. Mehra and O.P. Sharma; Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Publication Series, Serial No 24, New Delhi; 2008; 130 pages.
  Political parties are the link between the society and people in a democracy. They have been harbingers of national struggle, oxygen for exchange of ideas, platform to put forward issues in a democracy. A national party has appeal across the nation (…)

• Academic-Activists Veto Police Theory

  6 March 2010, by Humra Quraishi

  Though this time of the year there ought to be much love in the air and about, but there’s pain. The recent killings of two teenaged boys by the security forces on the streets of Srinagar has brought about a further dent. Outrage-cum- hopelessness, which comes about when there is havoc taking place night in front of your eyes and yet you can do just about nothing to cry a crying halt!
  And even elsewhere things don’t seem brightening up. Whether those big games getting played in (…)

• We Need No Taliban Here

  6 March 2010, by Nikhil Chakravartty

  Maqbool Fida Hussain is at the very centre of a storm whose after-effects are extremely relevant for our democracy—both for the democratic structure of our state and for the preservation of democratic values in our society.
  It is not that Hussain is at the centre of a controversy for the first time; in fact, it is seldom he is out of one. He has got thousands of fans, not all because of the beauty of his art but quite a large number applauding him for what would have been called (…)

• The Tragedy in Sri Lanka

  6 March 2010, by Rajindar Sachar

  [The following article reached us quite sometime ago but could not be used earlier due to unavoidable reasons. —Editor]
  One of the most tragic happenings of the decade is the breakdown of the Sri Lankan ceasefire in 2006 and its aftermath resulting in the horrors of war crime and slaughter of the innocent Tamil population of Sri Lanka. Why did it happen and could it have been avoided? These were some of the questions posed before the Permanent People’s Tribunal (successor to the Bertrand (…)

• Must the Gods Die?

  6 March 2010, by Madhu Bhaduri

  The gods are dying. Rivers that have traditionally been revered like gods in India, the sacred Ganga and Yamuna, are comatose. In the last few decades reckless diversion of river water and irresponsible use of rivers as channels for urban sewerage and untreated industrial effluents has dramatically transformed our rivers into dirty drains.
  The Yamuna, now a dirty drain in Delhi, is hardly in the image of gods for Hindus. It is difficult even to imagine that emperor Shahjahan would (…)

• Afghanistan: Terror Blast in Kabul, SCO’s Moves and Russian Offers

  6 March 2010, by Bashir Mohammad

  The recent terrorist attack in Kabul killing several Indians once again bears testimony to the desperation of the anti-Indian terrorist outfits like the Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is learnt to have been instrumental in carrying out the latest Kabul terror strike, to target Indian nationals in Afghanistan. Of course, they are operating under the directive and with the full assistance of the Pakistani intelligence working overtime in its bid to diminish Indian influence in that South West Asian (…)

• US is Not Opting to Lose the Afghan War

  6 March 2010, by K. Subrahmanyam

  The London Conference in which India felt it was marginalised, the sudden crackdown by the Pakistanis against the leadership of Quetta Shura whose existence they had denied all this time, the detention of 124 militants, the spate of anti-Taliban articles and pronouncements in the Pakistani print and electronic media and the glowing certificates from high-level US officials on Pakistani cooperation with US strategy—all this has persuaded the Indian strategic community that the Obama (…)

• Price Rise, Rail Budget, Maoist Offer

  1 March 2010, by SC

  As expected, the Budget session of Parliament has begun with both the Houses being adjourned on the second day or the first working day (the first day witnessed President Pratibha Patil addressing the joint session of the two Houses in the Central Hall as is the customary practice) with the entire Opposition unrelenting in its demand for a discussion on the serious issue of price rise under a substantive motion entailing voting, and the government inflexibly stonewalling the demand so that (…)

• Afghan Scenario: Growing Complexities

  1 March 2010, by Mansoor Ali

  The situation in Afghanistan is becoming increasingly complex with the passage of time.
  The London Conference on the Afghan Problem decided at the end of January to work towards reintegrating the Taliban into the Afghan political mainstream. This has sent shock waves among Indian defence and strategic analysts as also in the corridors of power in New Delhi though some seasoned diplomats and foreign policy experts assert that there was no reason for the Government of India to feel (…)